In the Olympics, Roger Federer has a silver and gold medal. His dominance at an older age shows just what he was possible of if he came along a little bit later. The US Open will be his first tour-level event since resumption of the ATP Tour. 6. UCLAs 76 team featured Brian Teacher, Peter Fleming, Ferdi Taygan and John Austin. Open by Andre Agassi. In 2012 he won the silver in London, and in 2008 he won the Gold in Beijing. McDonald was named an ITA All-American in singles for three straight years. Graf earned 22 Grand Slam titles throughout her career, including four at the Australian Open, six at the French Open, seven at Wimbledon, and five at the US Open. Somewhat surprisingly, tennis didnt make it back into the Olympics until 1988, 64 years later. In addition to his Grand Slam success, Federer has claimed 103 ATP titles, the most ever behind Jimmy Connors in the Open Era. Serenas first title came in early 1999, and later that year, she also claimed her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. 15. Hes another guy who had an outstanding doubles career, but his singles alone made him a Hall of Famer. Some, such as prize money and whether they were left or right-handed, are there for fun. View the full college tennis rankings below and favorite to save your list of top mens tennis colleges. Top 100 College Football Players Of All Time Quiz - By forrestsancomb. Venus turned pro at the early age of 14 in 1994 when she played her first WTA tournament. In 1999, Andre Agassi became the fifth man to win all four Grand Slam titles in a single year and the second in the Open Era. In addition to her first Grand Slam title, she also claimed the worlds No. Thats certainly not something to diminish, but everyone is going to evaluate that lopsided performance differently. However, there are players who make winning Grand Slams a habit and win numerous titles at prestigious events. She also won the Australian Open to start 1993 before a deranged fan stabbed her in April. No problemo. While still at USC, he managed to win three doubles Grand Slams and reach two other Slam finals. For starters here are our top ten men's teams. Proponents of college note that the game has become much more physical in recent years due to advances in racket technology, and, as a result, the average age of the top 100 players is around 27 . She also had an impressive career record of 704-165, winning 81% of her matches. Thats why some people will put him third. Like Evert, Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including three at the Australian Open, two at the French Open, nine at Wimbledon, and four at the US Open. His determination keeps him in any match. 8 Grand Slam Singles Titles: 4 Australian, 2 French, 2 US Open. McEnroe earned himself 7 Grand Slam titles four at the US Open and three at Wimbledon. 7) all stepped up at USCs new tennis center to take Stanfords first title, in what would become a dynastic run of 17 championships. To be clear, we dont perceive one tour as better or worse than the other. He currently sits at No. Top 10 Greatest Men's Tennis Players of All Time: 10. Your email address will not be published. In 1998, she didnt earn any titles, but she saw plenty of success, including a top 20 ranking. Ma Long. Dick Butkus. The second-best Rafael in tennis history was ranked No. 5 Point Friday In 1896, the inaugural Olympics took place, and tennis was an official sport. ITA Mens All-American Singles Championship, US Open Singles Draw Features Six Former Women Collegiate Athletes, Coach Masterclass The ITA & Coach Governance, College Tennis In the Community: Teams Give Back In The Month of February, The Power of Community Davidson Kozlowski [Coaches Podcast], Division I Mens Collegiate Tennis Rankings sponsored by Tennis-Point February 28. In recent years, he has won many big titles back to back, surpassing the track record of other great players like Waldner. Venus Williams (Born: June 17, 1980) Venus Williams is an American professional tennis player. Wed love to hear from you in the comments below. Rod Lavers career is unique because of his success and crossover from amateur to professional and subsequent success during the Open Era. In 1998, she won her first WTA tournament, which she followed up with a few additional titles that year. Laver had the distinction of the greatest tennis player of all time at one point, but the way tennis changed from a playing and business perspective hurt him. As the game started to evolve, Stephen Edberg still heavily relied on the serve and volley. Over the span of his collegiate career, Anderson was named an ITA Singles All-American three times and an ITA Doubles All-American twice. Regardless, shes well deserving of the title as one of the best female tennis players of all time. Agassi also managed to earn himself a career Super Slam, which he is the only player to hold, and a Golden Slam, the latter of which has only been matched by Rafael Nadal. Given enough time, another player will come along that does what many now believe to be impossible. After Giron made his debut at the 2014 US Open, he did not play another tour-level match until qualifying for 2018 Los Cabos. Jung was awarded the prestigious ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award his junior season for his outstanding play and leadership. 3. On the other hand, others dont believe that while a players performance in doubles is interesting, it shouldnt have a bearing on a players consideration for the greatest of all time. 220. A bit of a late bloomer, Wimbledon has been his only weak Grand Slam of his career. Photo Credit: @Wimbledon. Clarence Mabry would go on to coach a tiny Texas school across the street from the San Antonio Zoo into a fearsome predatory force with a nasty bite. -See which former college tennis student-athletes are in the women's professional tour. Her most notable record related to Grand Slam titles was her 1970 performance, where she won all four Grand Slam events in the calendar year. Some rules are different, i.e., on-court coaching is allowed on the WTA tour outside of the Grand Slam events. 7. 1 Margaret Court in a small clay court tournament held in Charlotte, NC. She played her final singles match in 1983 at the Australian Open. 2. 37 in the world. Heres the beauty of college tennis a supremely individual sport becomes a wonderful team endeavor. The Tigers beat the Trojans and went on to win all their matches that year. 3. Ramanathan Krishnan (born 11 April 1937) is a retired tennis player from India who was among the world's leading players in the 1950s and 1960s. Although its tough to imagine a player who will eclipse the big three on the mens side or the top players on the womens, one thing is for sure it will happen. He has proven his talent for over 20 years and is still competing at the very highest level. Its perfectly fine to say that Roger Federer is the best tennis player of all time. During those years, he claimed eight titles at three of the biggest professional tournaments, the US Pro, French Pro, and Wembley Pro. In 2006, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe became only the third Illinois duo to capture the NCAA Doubles Championship. The team won two titles, in 70 (sans Jimbo) and in 71. Many will argue that of the top players, head-to-head performance should carry significant weight. Trinity, 1962-1965 Grand Slam events are best of five for men and best of three for women and are usually regarded as highly significant when ranking players. He played for UW-Whitewater and was the highest-drafted football player in college history, having been selected 98 th overall in the third round of 2021 NFL drafts. Despite that, she did compete in a professional tournament that year but didnt perform well. Perhaps at another point, well consider the group as a whole. We won 25 matches 7-0 and the other three matches were 6-1., That team was a dream to coach, added Gould. He was an American tennis player who won a total of 77 career titles in his playing years. 5/21/2021. 63 heading into the US Open. In 2002, Venus ascended to the world No. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body of college tennis, overseeing mens and womens varsity tennis at all levels NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College. 1 ranking, and she earned this spot for a total of 260 weeks throughout her career. He also has the most variety of Grand Slam titles, winning at least two at every major championship. Wolf turned professional a little over a year ago in July of 2019. Then again, insanity has never stopped us before. 5. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 1. 3 player. Its up to any individual to determine how they perceive these factors when ranking the greatest players of all time. In 1974, Chris Evert claimed her first Grand Slam victories at the Fench Open and Wimbledon, which sparked a 13-year string where she won at least one Grand Slam event for a total of 18, which no other player has accomplished since. Heading into the 2020 US Open, McDonald is ranked No. Furthermore, Federer has notched 1,251 match wins with a winning rate of 81.98%. Winning Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces can be a huge challenge. However, her first Grand Slam victory came a few years later at the French Open in 1971, which she quickly followed up with a win at Wimbledon as well. Stefi Graf is third all-time on the title leaderboard with 107 and has a singles career record of 900-115 for a win rate of 88.7%. List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players. Norrie holds the mens singles title at the inaugural Oracle ITA Masters. Stanford, 1973-1974 Sandy Mayer, Pat DuPre, Jim Delaney, John Whitlinger. Ivan Lendl. By mistake, the kid was sent a tennis racket. Another area where its challenging to compare players is how heavily to weigh individual stats. Federer is joint top as the player with most Grand Slam titles in the world (20) and is second behind Djokovic in most weeks spent at the World No.1 spot. USC, 1962-1964 Dennis Ralston, Rafael Osuna, Bill Bond, Tom Edlefsen, Ramsey Earnhart, Chuck Rombeau. After all, if someone is coming up with their list of the best tennis players of all time, they might want to consider the whole player beyond their talents on the court. 2023 by Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Regarding her match singles win percentage, Court stands alone, holding the best record at 91.69% through her career and 91.17% during the Open Era. Federer is the player that has the most Grand Slam titles in the world (20) and is second behind Djokovic in most weeks spent at the world No.1 spot. Regardless of your stance, the weight of specific stats or accomplishments will undoubtedly influence the ranking of players. Despite his success, he had a unique relationship with the slams. Although he competed at the French Open and Wimbledon in 1977, McEnroe officially turned pro in 1978. In 2006, Henin was everywhere, making it to the finals of every Grand Slam tournament but only coming up with a win at the French Open. Fourteen Former Mens Collegiate Players in US Open Singles Draw. In this article, well share our selection of the greatest players of all time, but well also discuss the challenges when ranking and why theyre important to keep in mind. Bob won the singles championship yet he was only their No. Moreover, 9 of Novak Djokovics and 6 of Roger Federers Grand Slam titles came on this surface. ranking, but despite her success, she only held that post for two weeks throughout her career. The result earned her a total of 129 titles, 67 that were during the Open Era. Nadals career started early. After qualifying at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati, Wolf reached a career high ranking of 143. For example, suppose Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic never showed up in tennis. Depending on a players ranking, that extra cash can be crucial. 1, and has a more diverse record for Grand Slam events, while Nadals success heavily skews toward clay. 101 after qualifying at Cincinnati. 24) Ralph Sampson (Virginia) College Averages: 16.9 points, 1.2 assists, 11.4 rebounds. The deep team included Jeff Austin, two Argentinian Davis Cup players, two Kreisses Mike and Bob and two Cornells Ron and Steve. He became world No. He has a 16-24 record against Nadal and an 18-20 record against Djokovic. After significant analysis and deep consideration of the most accomplished players in tennis, heres our list of the ten greatest male tennis players of all time. Djokovic turned pro in 2003. Tennis Channel/USTA College Tennis Top 25. In a 23 year career spanning four decades, the Swiss has spent a combined 310 weeks at world no.1 and holds the longest streak at world no 1. in Open Era history, having topped the ATP rankings for a four and a half year period (237 weeks) from 2004 to . He led his nation to its only Davis Cup final. Before finishing his career as a Buckeye, Wolf won the school's first ITA Men's All-American Singles Championship and was named an ITA All-American in singles. He is also one of only two players to achieve a career Golden Slam winning all four majors and a Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After going 21-1 at the No. Serena was ready to play at the professional level when she was 14 in 1995. Andre Agassi had one of the longest careers of any of our top-ranked mens tennis players at a thoroughly impressive 20 years. He won a total of 16 Davis Cup titles in his 22 year spell as coach of the Australian Davis Cup Team between 1939 to 1967. Hard, clay, and grass are significantly different surfaces, and while some players have had more success on specific surfaces, is it more compelling if a player manages to perform well on all of them? In 1980, he became world No. 5. Andre Agassi. In 1988, Sampras turned pro at 16 years old, and not long after, in 1990, he claimed his first Grand Slam title at the US Open, defeating Andre Agassi in straight sets. Their No. He was named the ITA Player of the Year in his final two seasons. Connors also holds eight Grand Slam titles, with one at the Australian Open, two at Wimbledon, and record-tying five at the US Open. UCLA, 1970-1971 Jimmy Connors, Jeff Borowiak, Haroon Rahim. In 1960, at the age of 18, Court began playing professional tennis and quickly enjoyed success, including her first major title at the Australian Open, then named the Australian Championships. As challenging as it is to make a list of the best female tennis players of all time, there has to be a cutoff, despite many other players significant achievements. The Outsider by Jimmy Connors. He reached #1 in the world and dominated during the U.S. Open run, but he was a mainstay in the top 10 for quite a while as well. Australian Rod Laver was born on August 3, 1938, and players and fans widely regard him as one of the greatest players of all time. Novak Djokovic has won 19 singles Grand Slams and was ranked world number 1 in 2011. The US Open will be Jungs first tour-level event since the resumption of the ATP Tour. Similarly, is it more impressive that a player wins a Grand Slam at the age of 16 or 35? Tennis Strategy by Grant Grinnell. Ralston and Osuna struggled to win the NCAA doubles in five sets. 1 ranking for longer than any other player in history at 345 weeks and currently has 85 titles to his name. Born on July 31, 1951, Evonne Goolagong is an Australian tennis player whose results in the 1970s at the start of the Open Era have earned her recognition as one of the best to play the sport. He didnt have as long of a prime and some of the others on this list, but he could beat anyone in a single match. Just a couple of decades ago, many labeled Pete Sampras as the greatest tennis player of all time. Surprisingly, McEnroe was born in 1959 in West Germany with his parents stationed in the country because of his fathers role with the United States Air Force. He is one of three men to end each of the last 10 years ranked in the top 20 and with 30+ wins. Moreover, the Dutch is in place #59 of the best college tennis players of the moment, her highest ranking ever. I won't repeat it but answer the implicit question- it doesn't matter. In his final season with the Bruins, McDonald won not only the NCAA Singles Championships, but also the NCAA Doubles Championships with Martin Redlicki. 17 in singles and No. Help us better understand the makeup of our tennis community. Home > Opinion > 10+ Best Tennis Players of All Time, Improve your game alongside our community of tennis players. 1. Without a doubt, Kings most successful years were from 1966 to 1975. Throughout her career, King ended up with a 695-155 record for a win rate of 81.76%. 8, and the considerable Brian Gottfried, ,who rose to No. In that case, Federer may have won significantly more titles because he gave up so many to both of these players. 1 ranking, which she held for 117 weeks throughout her career. Before the Bryans, the Woodies, and Mac and Fleming, there was Stan Smith and Stanford transfer Bob Lutz. Definitely. She also appeared in five finals, where her opponent defeated her. However, he wouldnt play his first ATP tour event until 2004, and hed claim his first ATP title in 2006. Instead, these tournaments only allowed amateurs to play, and these players didnt receive prize money. His success started in the 1980s with numerous titles and his first Grand Slam victory over John McEnroe at the French Open, a year McEnroe was virtually untouchable. From 2004 to 2007, Federer asserted significant dominance winning 11 of the 15 Grand Slam events during this period. Frazier Tommy #4. Here is our review of the best college players of all time 2023 rankings; #1. (Skip to the end of the article to view our top 10 list if you have want to save time). NCSA analyzed over 880 four-year colleges with mens college tennis programs across four division levels (D1, D2, D3 and NAIA) to develop a list of the Best Mens Tennis Colleges for Student-Athletes. In his final season with the Bruins, Maxime Cressy alongside Keegan Smith brought home the 14th NCAA Doubles title in UCLA history. Since then, Court racked up more Grand Slam titles than any player in history male or female. A linchpin in the Cavaliers three straight NCAA Team Championships. He was the greatest clay-court player of all time until Rafael Nadal hit the scene, but it was his all-around game that caught attention from the very beginning. She holds the fifth-most career titles of any woman in the Open Era at 73 and has a record 855-152 in matches for a win rate of 84.9%. Access available rankings data at ITA. better than all others in quality or value. After advancing to the 2018 Wimbledon finals, Anderson reached a career-high No. However, she was denied the opportunity by the WTA due to age restrictions. 4. New posts New profile . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Create a free account and explore my latest videos below, Before we dive into many of the nuances of ranking the best players of all time, lets get clear on what exactly we mean by best.. It was the most selfless team Ive hadIt was probably the best team in recent history. The top four players would alternate playing No. At the time, the Cardinal (who would go on to win the NCAAs that year) were ranked #1, Trinity #2. 2. It doesnt make accomplishments from years past less impressive, relevant, or important, but its a factor that we should weigh when making comparisons. In 1962, Margaret Court achieved a career-high ranking of world No. In 2011, he was selected as a member of the USTA Summer Collegiate Team along with his teammate Rhyne Williams. In 1966, King became the world No. As a result, what one player could accomplish playing tennis in the 1950s is fundamentally different from the 2000s. Right off the bat, he was seeing success and making deep runs into some of the worlds biggest tournaments, including the French Open and Wimbledon. In 2003, Federer claimed his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, one of 20 and a record he shares with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. For more information on the NCSA Power Rankings, visit our press kit or email us. Hes a winner of three Grand Slam titles, and has shown that he can beat the best of the best when it matters most. Throughout her career, she held that ranking for a total of 332 weeks, second only to Stefi Graf. The following year was one of her most impressive, winning all four Grand Slam events and a gold medal in singles at the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Its just a matter of what is weighed most importantly in tennis. Goulds takeaway: You never say never, but there is no way a team will ever do what this team did. Throughout their careers, the two played 34 times, and Sampras won 20 of those matches. Mac and Bill Maze were the best doubles team in the country. Grand Slams Won: 2. Ten years ago . Until the 1980s, very few top players attended the tournament due to Australias remote location, low prize money and prestige, and schedule, which fell around the holidays. Between 2004-2008 he was number one for a . For that reason, thats why the big three are held in such high regard because they so consistently dominated the game, with very few players ever breaking through to win big titles during their time on tour. This article lists the tennis players who have won the most tour-level professional tournament titles since the Open Era began in 1968. Stanford's chest-bumping identical twins and all-time men's doubles champs Bob and Mike Bryan rank just behind McEnroe. Skip to primary navigation; . Barry Sanders #5. During the tennis boom, nobody was bigger, and he had rivalries with Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl at some point. Our writers made the case for Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer. They almost won the 72 NCAAs. Billie Jean King. In four years at Pitt, the smooth runner, named in a 2016 ESPN coaches' poll as the 10th-best college player of all time, dodged and weaved his way to a then-record 6,082 career rushing yards. Winning only one Grand Slam title might not be impressive to the average person, but Andy Roddick had the challenge of coming up through the ranks at the same time as Roger Federer. Now decades after his passing, he still remains one of the biggest faces for the fight against AIDS. 57 after reaching the third round in Barcelona in 2019. Its worth noting she also competed during a period where many players didnt compete as often in the Australian Open. 10. In 61, sophomore Chuck McKinley reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Rod Laver. Osuna was recruited to USC out of obscurity and remains the best Mexican player ever.